Hockey Widow wrote:I went to the game and didn't think the Flames played as bad as the score indicated.

"I thought we outplayed them for much of the 1st and the 3rd period, Vancouver had 5 power plays, much of which were borderline awful calls, to our 2. On the third goal, which I think was Bieksa's, Burrows' dive right in front of the net was pitiful.

Irving wasn't good, he looks jumpy and kind of out of control.

Brodie was good and made very good decisions and outlet passes all night.

2-1 on a three game road trip, I'll take it.

Next up the Minnesota Wild."

I think this guy needs to log into mind check and take one of those assessments Bieksa was talking about. I'm sure delusional disorders are covered.

The posters at calpuke are all sharing one brain. OK flatlanders you put one foot forward and then move your other foot in front of that one.............

I can't believe they still have fans that are delusional enough to believe they may make the playoffs. I know there are some that have finally come to the realization that they suck and simply need to rebuild, although now those folks simply hope for other teams failings.

Hockey Widow wrote:If he keeps this up I for one want to see him stay when Kesler gets back. It will allow Lappy to play centre on the 4th line and give AV flexibility for the 2 and 3 lines, a chance to mix and match depending upon the game situation. I also like how Hansen and Raymond are playing with Schroeder.

When Kesler comes back, who would/can the Canucks send down? As isn't Schroeder the only one who doesn't need to be waived? (from the fringe forwards)

Volpatti?

Then Booth gets back. Imagine that, we have a 4th line that we don't want to lose.

Hockey Widow wrote:I am most impressed with Schroeder's defensive game. Nice to see a Canuck rookie actually get rewarded for good defensive play. With all the ice time he is getting right now the Canucks are certainly getting a chance to see what he can do before Kesler gets back. If he keeps this up I for one want to see him stay when Kesler gets back. It will allow Lappy to play centre on the 4th line and give AV flexibility for the 2 and 3 lines, a chance to mix and match depending upon the game situation. I also like how Hansen and Raymond are playing with Schroeder.

And I think we understand why GMMG felt that he could (needed to) trade CoHo, given that he could only keep one of them.

SKYO wrote:When Kesler comes back, who would/can the Canucks send down? As isn't Schroeder the only one who doesn't need to be waived? (from the fringe forwards)

Ebbett goes down to the Wolves, and if everyone's healthy then either Malhotra or Weise or Volpatti get the seat in the press box.

When Kesler comes back, who would/can the Canucks send down? As isn't Schroeder the only one who doesn't need to be waived? (from the fringe forwards)

Volpatti?

Then Booth gets back. Imagine that, we have a 4th line that we don't want to lose.

They could send down a defenceman instead, as we have 2 up with the team now[/quote]

They can send almost anyone down but it is a matter of waivers. Who on the team does not need to clear? Volpatti, Kassian, Tanev and Schroeder. Not sure if thats 100% accurate. In the past MG has shown he has a fear of losing "assets" on waivers and has kept , IMHO, players less deserving because of that. If he holds to that pattern then he won't want to risk losing Ebbet or Weise, which would mean Volpatti and Schroeder are the likely choices. Remember Schroeder started the season in Chicago for that very reason.

Schroeder definitely stays upon Kesler returns if #45 keeps playing like this. I don't mean 2 goals a game of course, but as has been noted, he's on the puck, goes to the dirty areas, and is responsible defensively. There is a lot about the Canucks game that is still not clicking, but overall it's a pretty optimal start. Goalies looking good, young guys playing key roles, and wins are on the board. It also eases any pressure for Kesler to rush back, they need to take as much time as they need with him.

With Schneider as eventual clear #1, then guys like Tanev, Kassian, Schroeder making claims to be part of the future of this club it looks like the team is staying very competitive while transitioning to the next gen...no guarantees on any of these guys, but I'd rather be us than say the Flames both as it concerns the present and the future. Man, all those years of no playoffs and they have nothing to show for it...pathetic

Malhotra's days are numbered, hope he is saving his money, cause I highly doubt he gets picked up by another NHL team this summer. I see Europe in the cards for Malhotra next year.

If the Nucks keep this up, i.e. Raymond, Schroeder, Hansen line, Booth will have a hard time getting back in the line-up. Booth will not be a Canuck next year. Too expensive, when the number crunching really begins next season, and they have a much cheaper route to go that does not hurt the on ice product in Niklas Jensen. Jensen will be a better player than Booth, pretty quickly, he is seasoning quite well playing against men in the Swedish Elite League.

I don't think the Canuck MGMT would shed a tear if they lost Ebbett to waivers, HW.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

RoyalDude wrote:Malhotra's days are numbered, hope he is saving his money, cause I highly doubt he gets picked up by another NHL team this summer. I see Europe in the cards for Malhotra next year.

If the Nucks keep this up, i.e. Raymond, Schroeder, Hansen line, Booth will have a hard time getting back in the line-up. Booth will not be a Canuck next year. Too expensive, when the number crunching really begins next season, and they have a much cheaper route to go that does not hurt the on ice product in Niklas Jensen. Jensen will be a better player than Booth, pretty quickly, he is seasoning quite well playing against men in the Swedish Elite League.

I don't think the Canuck MGMT would shed a tear if they lost Ebbett to waivers, HW.

RoyalDude wrote:Malhotra's days are numbered, hope he is saving his money, cause I highly doubt he gets picked up by another NHL team this summer. I see Europe in the cards for Malhotra next year.

If the Nucks keep this up, i.e. Raymond, Schroeder, Hansen line, Booth will have a hard time getting back in the line-up. Booth will not be a Canuck next year. Too expensive, when the number crunching really begins next season, and they have a cheaper route to go that does not hurt the on ice product in Niklas Jensen. Who is seasoning quite well playing against men in the Swedish Elite League.

I don't think the Canuck MGMT would shed a tear if they lost Ebbett to waivers, HW.

I agree that Malhotra should be done as a Cancuk after this year. My only concern is that in the past MG and AV like face off specialists or so called FO specialists being around. They seem to go one year too long with these types of guys. Manny is well liked on the team and respected by management. If he is done he could easily find himself a job with the front office in some capacity. Might be a good transition for him. But I think he will try to land a job a league minimum somewhere and keep playing if he can. I hope it is not with us unless he has a miraculous turn around and gets back to the Manny we had before the injury. Perhaps the biggest thing working against him is we need to clear cap space and his 3.5 goes a long way to helping us do that.

I also agree that the Canucks should not be concerned about losing Ebbett on waivers I just fear that they might. But perhaps Schroeder has shown enough that they feel comfortable in waiving Ebbett.

Booth is an enigma for sure. Unless he has a terrific return to the team and looks on fire and has a great playoffs then I simply can't see room for him past this year. Too expensive for the production we have gotten to date so I'm with you on the one RD. I still hope he can show us why we got him and still hope he can develop chemistry with someone. I don't like him and Kesler together. Maybe Schroeder because he is a playmaker.

When Kesler and Booth return we are a better team than last year. That has to bode well, knock on wood.

Speaking of Kesler I am glad he is using common sense and is not feeling pushed into returning too soon. Same for Willie Mitchell. I think more players have to take this stand to protect their careers.

That's the problem. Those two simply don't see each other on the ice, especially when ya got Blinders like Booth. Burrows should be back with the Sedins. Kassian is a real smart player and sees the ice very well unlike Booth, and I honestly see him developing some chemistry with Kesler. Hansen, Schroeder and Raymond have very good chemistry, speed, top notch hockey sense and skill. I see a Higgins, Kesler and Kassian future, which can be your shut down line as well as your 2nd line.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

So even if the Flames finally decide to move Iginla, how much are they really going to get for a soon to be UFA? Some playoff team's 1st rd pick and a solid but not great prospect and maybe an average roster player at the most. Not exactly something that will accelerate a restructuring.

Calgary will still get assets in return, but nowhere near what they would have received had they moved him a year or two ago.

Basically, if you hate the Flames, other than seeing Iginla walk away in the summer, the best thing would be to see them trade him when his value was at it's relative lowest.

As for the game, the Canucks defensive play continues to improve overall, the D pairs are solid and other than the odd individual mistake with the puck the D-men are disciplined in their positioning, rotations and support.

Despite another solid performance by Schroeder, the Canucks can't dominate the offensive play as well as they should once Kesler returns. The twins were really rolling last night and the other lines were mostly solid but this team will be able to apply more offensive pressure once they get healthy.

A 7-2-2 record is excellent and bodes well for the team but during this 5 game winning streak the Canucks have beaten: EDM, CAL, MIN and COL to go along with CHI. Other than the Hawks, the Canucks haven't exactly been tested all that much.

I'm not sure the Canucks have played well enough on the ice overall to have that record, and beating soft teams has certainly helped but that's what happens when you excellent goaltending and a solid D.

Only concern I have is whether the Canucks have played well enough to sustain this type of a record, or just a notch below, for much longer while Booth and Kesler are out. Then again, there are enough mediocre teams in the West that the Canucks should be able to beat in a regular basis even with the team's injuries to keep their perch atop the Northwest.

People say losing Ebbett wouldn't matter but it actually does. It's not to say Ebbett is a very valuable player but he's someone who can take a regular shift and give you reliable, albeit unspectacular play. That's not as easy to find as people may think. If say Lapierre or Malhotra gets injured before Kesler returns, there's really no one in Chicago who can step up and replace what Ebbett would bring and the Canucks would likely be forced to try Burrows or Raymond in the middle again, breaking up combinations that may be working well at the moment.

The Canucks still need another bottom 6 C with versatility, but until we get someone like that just losing someone who can give you some minutes is very poor management.

Same thing goes for Malhotra. He's nothing more than a 4th line specialist at this point but he's still slightly above average on the PK mostly due to his face-off prowess. Unless we have someone who can do what he does better, just getting rid of Malhotra makes little sense.

Ultimately I'd like to see the Canucks have better options than Malhotra and Ebbett but they're not completely useless and don't forget we're talking about the current 12/13th forwards on the team. They'll be pushed down even farther once players are healthy.

This is not to say the Canucks should send Schroeder down when Kesler returns just to save Ebbett but it's in the Canucks best interest to figure out a way to massage the roster without losing someone.